RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The deadline for all NFL teams, including the Washington Commanders , to narrow down their roster from 90 players to 53 is today by 6 p.m. EST. That makes cut day the biggest day in the NFL for waivers. It is important to note that players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and injured reserve (IR) do not count toward the 53 players on the active roster.
Cut day impacts seasoned veterans differently than younger players. If an NFL player has accrued at least four seasons of experience, instead of hitting the waiver wire, they will simply become a free agent. Accruing a season requires being on an NFL roster for at least six games; this also counts being on the team’s PUP list or IR.
For any player who has not accrued at least four seasons of experience, they will hit the waiver wire. This means any team in the NFL can claim them and inherit their current contract. However, waiver-wire priority is based on each team’s record last season.
Because the Commanders finished the season with a 5-12 record, they are No. 7 on the priority list. This means that as long as none of the six teams ahead of them - the Las Vegas Raiders , New York Jets, the Arizona Cardinals , the Tennessee Titans , the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns - do not put in a waiver wire request for a player Washington puts in a request for, the Commanders will get that player.
The waiver wire period lasts from 6 p.m. EST today until 1 p.m. EST tomorrow on Mon. Aug. 31. If a player is not claimed on the waiver wire, they will become a free agent and can sign with any NFL team.
Each team also has a 16-player practice squad. However, a team can have a 17th player if they are part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. The NFL created this rule to incentivize teams to take on players through this program, which is part of the league’s effort to make American football a global sport.
Teams can sign anyone available to the practice squad, including players on the 90-man roster whom they elected to waive. Players on the practice squad can be elevated to the active roster during the regular season. This typically happens because of an injury on the active roster. So, practice squad players are an important part of NFL teams because they can become important depth pieces during the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders roster cuts: Everything to know about cuts, waivers and the practice squad
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